Textile clamp



Dec. 4, 1934. J. J, MCCANN, JR 1,982,683

TEXTILE CLAMP Filed Feb. 11, 1932 IIIIIIIA jzmaab'ih Q j] llomey Patented Dec. 4, 1934 TEXIILEIQLAMP J h .J-Mcq nn Application r a 1. ,2 sea 5 45.92.373 scams. (01-26am This invention relates to a clamp employed in fabric. expanding machines or in tentering machines, and whichisadapted to firmly hold the fabric whilebeing properlyexpanded, and theprimary object of this invention is to provide a clamp of the character above mentioned specially adapted for that type of fabric expanding or tentering machine fully disclosed in myicopending application Ser. No. 589,521, filed January h stillfurther object of the invention is to pro- ,vide a clamp of the character above mentioned which will .act directly on the selvedge ofthe fabric piece, and not some distance inwardly from the selvedge of the piece.

.A still-further object of the invention is to provide in a clamp of the character above mentioned, .means wherebythe clamp will serveto prevent curling or turning up of the selvedge and which will also serve to uncurl or straighten out any curled orfelted-edges of the clothbefore theplamp .will apply a gripping action to the cloth.

Other objects and advantages ,of the invention will become apparent from a study of the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational viewof the clamp, the same being shown in a partially open position.

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1, the clamp being shown in a fully closed position.

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the clamp.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the pivoted jaw of the clamp.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary detail sectional elevational view for clearly illustrating the clamping action of the jaws of the clamp or clip on the selvedge of the cloth.

Figure 6 is an enlarged side elevation of the clamp showing the action of the jaws thereof on a fabric piece being drawn therethrough.

With reference more in detail to the drawing, it will be seen that 5 indicates a traveller or link which is mounted upon or forms part of anendless belt, which latter forms a part of an expanding or tentering device described in my aforementioned copending application. Integral with the links 5 and projecting laterally from that side of the link adjacent to the fabric to be expanded, is an arm or extension 6 on the free end of which is integral or otherwise fixed a jaw 7. Extending upwardly and outwardly from the arm 6 intermediate the ends of the arm is a pair of opposed parallel supports 8 between the free ends of which is pivotally mounted as at 9 a lever 10 thatforms amartof a movable jaw, said mov able jaw including in ,additionto .the lever 10, .a .laterally extendingweighted head 11 that is adapted to be disposed in parallelism tothejaw '7 forclampf gtherebetween the selvedge.or,. edge 6 0 12a of the fabric piece 12. i

.Thempper portion, of ,the lever .10 is slightly ofiset asLclearlyfsuggested in Figuresfl andL ,Di-

rectly ,at. its rear. edge the head :11 is provided with .a -lug .l3 whichprojejcts downwardly beyond theihead ll and .wh'en thejaws are in their final clamping.posit,ion,-.thelug fitsin a notch-or recess laprpvidedin the rear face of the fixed-jaw '7. ,.Fror 'n. a study of Figures l and 2, it will be seen that in'actual practice, .vvhehjan, e dgepprtipn of the fabric is pl aced on the jaws'i, the edge of the fabric will extendv rearwardly. with respect to the jaw Ttcwardthe traveler 5. Lever lfl by gravity will, moveto the position 'shownin Figure 1,.with thelug l3, .engaging-the fabric 12 'rearwardly,with respect-tp the jawfl.

QUpon lateral oroutwardstrain on the fabric 12, by reason .of the' engagement of they member 13 with the fabric, the lev er 10 will .be'roqkea about, its pivot for moving the head 11 of the mov- 8 0 able jaw into parallel clamping relation with re- "spect to the jaw '7 as shown in Figure 2 for se curely clamping an edge of the fabric between the jaws. When the movable jaw has moved to the position shown in Figure 2, which is the final 8 5 clamping position, the lug 13 will move into the notch 14 as more clearly shown in Figure 5. As also shown in Figs. 1 and 6, the fixed jaw 7 has its rear upper edge formed into an abrupt shoulder extending along the width of the jaw. go The selvage edge of the fabric may be curled upwardly on itself or felted upon itself at the opposite side thereof. The lug 13 and its cooperation with the shoulder on the jaw 7 serve to straighten out either of these edge conditions before the .95 fabric is gripped, as shown in Figs. 2 and 5. In the case of a curled edge, the lug 13 engages the fabric as it is drawn forwardly between the jaws and straightens out the curl. It will also be clear that the lug 13 holds the selvage edge of the fab- .100 ric in close engagement with the shoulder on the jaw 7 so that any felted edge thereof is straightened out as it is drawn over such shoulder. Either of such edges is thereafter flattened out when gripped between the jaws. It should be particularly noted that the use of the shoulder on the rear edge of the jaw 7 and the location of the lug 13 directly at the rear edge of the jaw 11 causes the fabric to be engaged only at the extreme selvage edge thereof, it being clear that, as shown in Fig. 6, the edge portion of the fabric may drop down into the free space of the arm 6 rearwardly of said shoulder on jaw '7 and that the gravitational action of the movable jaw holds the fabric pressed between the lug 13 and said shoulder. Furthermore, drawing of the fabric outwardly of the jaws tends to openrather than close the jaws, thereby preventing any binding or gripping of the fabric until the extreme edge thereof has passed inwardly of the lug 13.

To release the fabric, it is necessary only to swing lever 10 about its pivot in a clockwise direction, so as to relatively position the jaws as shown in Figure 1, any suitable means being provided for automatically actuating the lever 10 and retaining it in the position shown in Figure 1 against rotation in an anti-clockwise direction until the fabric has been removed from the jaws.

Even though I have herein shown and described the preferred embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that the same is susceptible of further changes, modifications and improvements coming within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is:

1. In a tenter clamp, a fixed jaw having a fabric-engaging top surface with an abrupt shoulder along the rear edge thereof, the clamp having a free space rearwardly of said shoulder extending below the plane and along the width of said surface and adapted freely to receive thereinto the edge portion of a fabric resting on said surface, a movable jaw coacting with said surface of the fixed jaw to clamp the edge portion of a fabric therebetween, and a lug carried by the movable jaw at its rear edge for engaging one surface of the fabric and uncurling the edge thereof, the lug being adapted to cause the opposite surface of the fabric to be dragged over said shoulder whereby to straighten out any felted edge thereof, and the lug acting to keep the movable jaw from closing onto the fabric while the fabric is beneath the lug.

2. In a tenter clamp, a fixed jaw having a fabric-engaging top surface with an abrupt shoulder along the rear edge thereof, the clamp having a free space rearwardly of said shoulder extending below the plane and along the width of said surface and adapted freely to receive thereinto the edge portion of a fabric resting on said surface, a pivoted jaw coacting with said surface of the fixed jaw to clamp the edge portion of a fabric therebetween, and a lug carried by the pivoted jaw'at its rear edge and extending downwardly below the pivoted jaw in position to pass through a portion of said free space adjacent to the rear edge of the fixed jaw upon clamping movement of the pivoted jaw, the lug being adapted to engage the edge portion of fabric drawn forwardly between the jaws and uncurl the edge thereof, keep the pivoted jaw from closing onto the fabric while the fabric is beneath the lug and cause the fabric to be dragged over said shoulder in a manner straightening out felted portions of the edge thereof, and the rear portion of the fixed jaw being recessed to receive the lug thereinto when the pivoted jaw is fully closed onto the fixed jaw.

3. In a tenter clamp, a fixed jaw, an arm extending forwardly toward and supporting the jaw on the front end thereof, the arm being recessed within its top surface rearwardly of and along its entire contact with the jaw in a manner providing a shoulder along the rear edge of the jaw, a pivoted jaw coacting with the top surface of the fixed jaw for clamping therebetween the edge portion of a fabric, and a lug carried by the pivoted jaw at its rear edge in position to pass through a portion of the recess adjacent to the rear edge of the fixed jaw upon clamping movement of the pivoted jaw, the lug being adapted to engage the edge portion of fabric drawn forwardly between the jaws and uncurl the edge thereof, keep the pivoted jaw from closing onto the fabric while the fabric is beneath the lug, and cause the fabric to be dragged over said shoulder in a manner straightening out felted portions of the edge thereof.

JOHN J. MCCANN, JR. 

